


Blind Justice

by Rainbott



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dysfunctional Family, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Frenemies, Ghosts, Mothman, OC, Paranormal Investigators, invader zim - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:07:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbott/pseuds/Rainbott
Summary: What if Zim wasn’t an incompetent fool? In fact, what if Zim was the only fierce invader in all of the Irken Empire? How would such a cold blooded soldier react to meeting someone like Dib, a young human determined to defend Earth even when his life's on the line? Would he admire his bravery or be insulted by his weakness?Even if he were conflicted on how to feel, everything the invader knows is about to be put into question when his nemesis suffers a life changing injury that puts their newfound truce on the sidelines for a while. If Dib plans to continue his paranormal investigations with said injury, now Zim is obligated to follow the frail boy around to ensure his safety. After all, who would dare challenge such a strong irken soldier? Certainly not anyone without a death wish, that’s for sure.I’m a huge sucker for AUs where Zim is an actual threat as an alien invader, so I decided to write this story with my friend @/ that_one_snazzy_artist on Instagram! I came up with the original idea and they helped me write it out. I hope y’all enjoy our spin on Dib and Zim’s dynamic with this fun concept!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Six years. It had been six years since Zim came to conquer the Earth, and Dib was perplexed. Zim was a very big threat; He was an extremely intelligent alien from a world with advanced technology and combat skills unlike anything Dib had ever seen. His schemes to rule the planet were always brilliant, with Dib only managing to stop each of them by some miracle at the last minute. Zim was a mad genius and his sole focus was to take over Earth... That being said, why hadn’t he done it by now? Dib knows that Zim was beyond capable of beating him in most of their battles over the years, yet it seems that lately he’s stopped trying all together. Was it out of pity? Dib didn’t view himself as being too pathetic, so he truly hoped not. On the other hand, Zim did mention he’d come to restore honor to the Irken Empire, which even the human boy knew was notorious for being the galaxy’s biggest joke. Irkens were all soft, tiny and colorful morons (for a lack of better words).

Zim must be some sort of defect, because the bitter and hostile alien looked almost nothing like his cheerful associates. With his vast skill set and intellect, Zim could have crushed Dib long ago, so why hadn’t he? What was keeping the alien from wiping out Dib and conquering the planet for himself? The human didn’t have a clue, but he wasn’t ready to risk pushing Zim’s buttons to find out.

Dib was on his way home from school now, huffing as he dragged along his heavy book bag. The boy was eighteen years old now, and growing tired of the constant routine he’d found himself accustomed to with Zim. A game of cat and mouse that would play on repeat nearly every afternoon. He had homework to do and paranormal investigations to hold! Dib didn’t have time to continue letting the Irken pester him, especially not if he wasn’t even posing a threat to the Earth anymore.

Zim was currently following behind the boy, keeping a careful eye out. He was rather far back, yet close enough to be able to listen if Dib were to say anything. Judging by the boy's body language he was fed up. Zim huffed and rolled his eyes, only causing them to slightly irritate with the atrocious contacts he had in. Zim hated everything about Dib, but he was also weighing his options about the whole earthly takeover thing. 

He was going to do it. He wasn't a quitter or weakling... But he had grown a slight bit fond of the planet. It was much more sustainable than the disgusting planet Zim had originally come from. He hated Earth, but he hated Irk more. Zim was on the down low with his plans and attacks as of late. It felt like rhyming. It was all the same but a little bit different. He needed something new. Something different. So, for now, he was ok with just keeping watch on the stupid human. He was rather fascinated. The boy was so determined despite being oh so frail and weak. It almost impressed Zim.

The boy's cunning mind, despite being rather young, still was so intriguing to the alien. A human, a teenage variant of a human nonetheless, was so light on his feet and fast with his thinking. His determined personality just was not what Zim was expecting out of humans.  
Since Zim saw Dib as less of a threat and more of a fascination. 

Finally, the walk home came to an end as both boys turned off towards their houses. Zim hurried inside and called out to Gir. He wanted to discuss his plans with his robot companion before anything else. Oh... And he had homework too. He forgot about that. Ugh, he'd brush it off til the morning. Afterall, with his pak he only needed to sleep once a week. He didn't know why his pak functioned like that, seeing as all of the colorful aliens back on Irk enjoyed sleep. Zim saw it as useless and time consuming. Why would he waste precious plotting hours and be completely vulnerable to any possible attacks when he could be doing stuff that was so much greater than that? It was weak.

Zim would keep an eye out across the street. Dib was a key component in his next brilliant idea, which he'd brightly explain to the Dib and his sister later that evening. For now he had to plan everything out and discuss things with Gir.

Dib rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed as he made his way up to his house. The poor boy had hardly slept all week, he’d been so busy with schoolwork and other studying that it was hard to balance with his paranormal investigations, especially since Zim was still around on top of that. Even if it was less than when they were kids, he still posed a threat that Dib was responsible to deflect. Dib paused mid-step when he spotted his father in the driveway, packing up luggage into their family car. “Oh- Hey, Dad. I thought you didn’t have work tonight,” He frowned as he watched his father close the car door, already heading to the driver’s seat. 

“Yes, yes- Well, there's a very important conference that needs my immediate attention. I must get there at once to ensure they don’t start without me.” Dib couldn’t help but feel his eye twitch at that comment, balling his hands up into a shaken fist. “I’ll be home by morning to help you and your sister for school, alright?” Dib took a breath before giving his father a forced smile, 

“Sounds great.” Without waiting for any further reply, the professor backed out of their driveway and began to make his way across town for the conference. Dib scowled at the sight, “They need your attention? Yeah, funny how that works, isn’t it?...” The irony wasn’t lost on Dib, and he sighed as he made his way into the house. Their father cared more about his work than Dib or Gaz. It had been like that for as long as the teen could remember. He slid his book-bag off of his back and gently dropped it to the floor, casting a curious glance to their living room couch. Gaz was busying herself playing video games, so Dib didn’t want to disturb her at the moment, he’d talk to her later. Rummaging through his bag, Dib soon found the large stack of homework he had accumulated from taking so many honors classes, quickly heading up to his room to get started on said work afterwards.

____________________

Hours passed and Zim finally came up with what he wanted to do, especially after eavesdropping on Dib's conversation with his father and those intricate mumbles. This might just work. Zim let out a breath. "Gir! Keep the base safe until I get back. I have a late night visit with an enemy of mine and I hope it'll go the way I plan. Judging by my calculations he should be almost finished with homework by now, and after I explain my genius plan I will force that boy to sleep. You know... Because humans actually need to do that. What is the time anyways?" Zim looked around the house before finding a clock. Well, Gir destroyed that last week, so it clearly didn’t work anymore. "Computer! Tell me the time"

"It is 11:00 pm." The mechanical voice chimed in reply, patiently awaiting any further orders from its master as Zim hummed.

"Excellent. Rather late indeed. Anyways, I'll be off. Gir, stay safe and alert. You know what I taught you." Zim got on his human disguise and headed on out. Gir should be fine on his own for an hour or two, even if he was a machine designed on Irk. Every irken was soft, cuddly, and too friendly for their own good. It was an entire empire of incompetent and ditzy children. For Earth’s sake, they worshipped and crowned the shortest irken of the empire as their leader just because they appeared the friendliest. Considering nearly every other empire has enslaved part of Irk due to their pathetic nature, Zim was repulsed whenever someone would mention their Almighty Smallest. What a sick show of weakness.

The air was cold and it had recently rained. He hated that. Rain was one of the many obstacles Zim faced on earth, but he wouldn't fall weak to it. While Zim hated other irkens on his own planet, he did wonder what it was like to be that happy all the time. Their smallest informed Zim that he was defective, being why he lacked many colors beyond grey or red and was nearly 6 feet in height. That was frowned upon in irken culture, but everyone was too friendly to really do much to acknowledge the fact.

Zim made his way to the membrane household before knocking quite loudly. "Dib-stink! I know you're still in there completing that pathetic human work from our skool. Let me in or I'll blow the door down. I'm giving you 30 seconds." He said, already readying his pak. Knowing the membranes Gaz would probably angrily answer. He could care less. Knowing their father and his empty promises, he would most likely not be back by the morning. But, though that is predictable, Zim cannot see into the future. So the right time is now. "Er... And if you don’t open up and let me blow your door down, then I'll throw this brick. I know which window is yours."

Gaz groaned before opening the door, giving Zim an irritated glare. Out of everything he’d seen on this planet, Gaz was definitely the most frightening sight. “He’s upstairs, you moron. Probably has his headphones on and finishing an essay or some stupid journal about ghosts. Aren’t you supposed to be super smart or something? You should know he can’t hear you.” She rolled her eyes with a scoff, focusing already back on her gaming console before Zim could muster up a reply. “You know which room is his.” She wandered back to the couch, giving Zim full entry and access to the Membrane household.

"Thank you, Gaz." Yeah, he learned not to call her Dib-sister when around her. He found most humans weak. But that girl? She was horrifying. Zim began to head upstairs, using his pak legs to give him an advantage befoee making it to Dib's room. Dib was currently seated at the desk in his room, humming to himself as he completed his latest study. Tapping his foot along to the tune of the music, Dib was blissfully unaware of the violent alien making his way to disturb the tranquility of his bedroom, just as Gaz had described.

No bother knocking because he can't hear him. Zim kicked open the door and retracted the pak legs, shoving his hands into his hoodie (yes he wears a hoodie. He finds earth weather quite drastic and gross at this time) with a sly smirk. He walked on over and gently slipped the headphones off the boy. "Heya, Dib-Stink. So, I've been thinking." He began, not even giving Dib time to reply right away. Zim sat down on Dib's bed, getting quite comfy just to irritate the boy farther. That was always fun. "And you're probably wondering, oh no! What could Zim be planning this time? Why is he in my room? What evil plan is it now!? But..." He put a finger in front of the boy's face, further pushing the fact for him to now speak. "You don’t need to worry about all that anymore!"

Zim paused for a second then chuckled. "None the less. I came up with a genius plan that will work quite well in your favor. You see, Irk is weak. Gross and bright and disgusting. We're a laughing stock, Dib. But here it's so unique! So diverse. No one is just one thing. I mean, look at you! I should be able to snap you like a twig, but you're so full of surprises that I find it hard! And that's not an easy thing to say. That being said, hear me out. I know you want to prove aliens exist, and I know you hate your father. Let me stay here on Earth... And I'll let you show proof to him that we exist. Hell, I'll take the disguise off and we can head over there right now!" He kept that sly smirk.

Dib was speechless, anxiously babbling as he stared at Zim in shock. He was struggling to keep up with the one-sided conversation, so the moment Zim finally stopped talking, he just stuttered out the only thing that came to mind, “W-WHAT?!-“ Dib stood up with a frantic yelp, putting his headphones aside in panic. “Wait- Zim- What even?!- First of all, what are you doing in my house?! Gaz!! Did you-?” 

“I’m in the middle of something Dib! Break my win streak and I’ll break your face.” Dib cringed at Gaz’s response, nodding nervously before returning his gaze to Zim. 

“And second, you would help me? Why? I mean, I get that you want to stay on this planet, but couldn’t you just do that anyway? What would be stopping you?” He ran a hand through his dark hair, huffing in distress as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. “I just don’t understand- Why? Why would you help me? And why now, after all these years?!”

"Dunno, Dib. That can leave you guessing and I am all for your confusion." Zim smirked and removed the wig. He took out his contacts too and put them in their container. "No, but Dib, if I'm being totally honest, I'm rather bored. Our fights aren't like they used to be. It’s sort of just fallen into a rhythmic routine. I need something fresh. Something new. So, that's why I’m helping you. And forming a truce." He said, growing rather serious. He looked at Dib, his Antennas twitching a bit. Zim knew Dib's life was somewhat perilous, yet he wasn't going to admit he was keeping a lookout for Dib behind his back. "So, can we form a truce Dib-stink?" He stared directly at him.

Dib hesitated, frowning at the alien as he removed his disguise. He wasn’t sure if he could trust Zim. The Irken was a manipulative, hyper intelligent, evil mastermind. This could be some sort of elaborate trick or a setup. But Dib has to admit it, the idea of getting a break from all the constant fighting did sound nice. He narrowed his eyes at his smirking nemesis, crossing his arms after a moment. “Fine. We can have a truce for now... But you can’t try to destroy or take over the Earth unless you want it called off! I already have enough chaos in my life, and I really don’t need to be fighting over the fate of an entire planet right now.” Dib wasn’t wrong, he was very tired of constantly working to stop Zim’s schemes over the years, even if they had died down lately.

Zim nodded. "Sounds fair to me. Oh, and I highly suggest you sleep, Earth-boy. You see, my pak allows me to manage my tiredness. Never do I ever grow lazy or exhausted. However, humans are gross and actually need that stuff. So! If you don't sleep once I leave the perimeter, you can expect a brick through your window. Anyways…” Zim got up and began rummaging around til he found Dib's camera. "You could use your phone but photoshop exists so meh. Just get my good side and we can head over there tonight if you want to. Or wait til morning cause let's be fair, you're father won't be back for a bit~" He chuckled, hardly faltering suit when this earned him a very irritated glare from Dib. "Don't get mad at me, I’m just stating facts. Whatever you want to do is fine by me."

Dib huffed and took his phone from Zim, setting it aside. Why didn’t he want to take the alien’s offer and photograph him? Dib wasn’t sure, but it just didn’t sit right with him now. “Just get out of here, Zim. I’ll go tell my dad about this so he can get back to see you in the morning.” Dib couldn’t help but snicker at the alien, “Besides, I don’t think you have a good side for me to capture, so it would be a fruitless effort anyway.” The teen shifted where he stood to organize all the work he’d completed. It was now fairly late at night, so most people probably would be heading to bed soon. But not Dib. No, Dib had something much more important on his mind now. 

He was going to expose an alien to his father, finally proving himself to the man after years of neglect and doubt. To say Dib was excited would be an understatement. “I just gotta go do something first, and then I’ll probably head to bed anyway. Do NOT break my window, space boy.” He narrowed his eyes at Zim with a huff as he threw a few miscellaneous items into his book-bag to help with his quick trip. Professor Membrane probably finished the conference by now, simply staying at the lab as yet another excuse to avoid his responsibilities, and his children to that extent. Dib wasn’t going to let him get away with it tonight.

Zim rolled his eyes and got up. "Don’t do anything stupid. Ok?" He sneered and headed out of his room. Was he going to follow the boy there? Yes. Did the alien care about the boy? No. Well... That's hard to say. Zim left the house and headed to the back. He now waited until Dib left. Regardless of if the boy walked or drove, he would still follow. For some reason this didn't sit well with him. Zim sat down in the grass and waited. He wasn't going to just let the boy expose him alone. What kind of a plan was that!? Zim let out a breath and silently waited until he could make a move.

____________________

Eventually, Dib headed out later that night. His homework had been finished, so he didn’t have anything else planned for the evening. Sure, he’d be tired tomorrow, but that seemed to be the norm for Dib anyway. He swiftly made his way through town, eyes glinting with excitement as he walked along the dimly lit streets. The sky seemed to melt into a dark mix of clear blues and inky blacks, Dib occasionally casting a look upwards to marvel at the stars above. The weather was nice tonight, so for once you could get a clear look at all the stars. It gave Dib a good feeling about this plan, allowing him to press onward. 

Upon arriving at Membrane labs, the building appeared to be closed, but Dib knew better. What he didn’t know is that he was being fatally unobservant. 

He didn’t notice that the door had been lock picked before he came in. He didn’t notice that various notes and blueprints had gone missing. He didn’t notice the three figures watching his entrance from down the hall. “Dad? I know you’re still here! Come on!! The conference has to be over, I have something I want to tell you...” Dib’s voice trailed off when he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind himself, turning to look that way. “Dad-?” 

A beaker full of acidic chemicals was smashed over his face before he could react, knocking Dib to the ground as he dropped his phone and choked. The chemicals were burning. A lot. His vision became spotty and blurry before he squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a cry of pain as the other two criminals joined the first. “Holy shit!-“ “That’s just a kid, dude!-“ “We gotta go!-“

Zim had followed him, so when he noticed the door locked pick and heard the scream from inside, he knew something was up. The Irken soldier stood up high on his pak legs and headed on in. "I don't think you're going anywhere." He looked at the 3 criminals from down the hall with a low growl. Although his glowing eyes and pak lights were all they could see from across the dark laboratory, the trio of criminals could notice how unnaturally high above the ground this newcomer was. There wasn’t much to see beyond that, a few glowing red spots down the hallway.

That was until the rapid clinks of each leg could be heard moving closer and closer until the first man, who still had the vile in his hand, couldn't react before it was too late. Zim lifted him up quickly and threw him violently against a wall. Seeing Dib's body like that. In so much pain and agony. It shook him. Zim's glare locked onto the two other men. He wasn't hesitant to puncture one right through the stomach and lifted the third one up after. Zim watched the second man's body drop before looking at the third man. He wanted to hear him plead and scream. The third crook may not have done it himself, but he wanted him to pay just as much as the other two.

As Zim beat the group of convicts within an inch of their life, Dib was struggling to get his bearings. He couldn’t see. His face was burning and he couldn’t see a thing. It felt like he was drowning, lost in an empty void as acid stung whatever was left of his eyes. Upon hearing the sound of bodies hitting the wall, followed by a splatter of warm liquid hitting his face- Something Dib silently prayed wasn’t blood- The teen decided that he should probably abandon this mission and leave before the criminals got back to him. Whatever found them sounded like it was tearing the trio to shreds, bringing out pleas for mercy that sent a shudder through his spine. 

Dib managed to get to his feet and start running, trying to remember the layout of the laboratory he’d memorized over the years to escape. Apparently he didn’t memorize it well enough, soon running into the wall near the doorway outside. Holding his head with a groan of pain, Dib stumbles outside- Coughing and clawing at his burning face in agony. He needed his phone, he needed to call the police. He couldn’t, his phone was left inside. Dib bit his lip as he felt a sense of dread rising through his chest.

Zim huffed when he was finished with the group. It took him a minute to regain himself, considering it had been quite some time since his last kill. He wiped his hands off on his hoodie and retracted the pak legs. "Shit." He said, looking at the bodies. He then noticed Dib was gone. Zim must've been too in the moment to realize he ran. He pocketed the boy's phone after finding it and headed outside silently. He didn't need Dib knowing it was him who killed those 3 guys. "Dib-stink is that you?" He said, now in front of the boy as if he’d just found him. Zim was playing the act that he just got here and didn't come from inside the lab. He ran over. 

"Holy hell, you're blind- What happened-? No. I'm not even asking questions. You're coming with me. You still have glass punctured in your skin and blood on your face." He said, gently grabbing the boy's arm. Zim didn't care if Dib protested this. He was taking him back home. From now on he was going to protect the boy. The cold blooded Irken had no intention of hurting the paranormal investigator anymore, the truce was settled. Besides… After this night, after seeing what Dib looked like when he would become truly helpless to stop a powerful foe, Zim didn't think he wouldn't be able to.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two months since Dib lost his eyesight, and things didn’t seem to be getting any better. His father was horrified when he found out, now actually spending a decent amount of time at home to hover over Dib and make sure he wouldn’t take on any further injury. Dib brushed off his help and tried to convince the man that Zim was an alien, yet the professor merely dismissed it as a delusional side effect of Dib’s traumatic experience. Gaz honestly seemed to be more worried about Dib than their father, occasionally offering to play games with her brother by guiding him through learning the controls of easier games he could manage to pass through without seeing the screen. Dib was still tired of being stuck at home by now, grumbling to himself in frustration when he was denied permission to continue schooling. He wouldn’t fall behind, the missing work would be excused of course, but it still drove him insane. 

One day, the Membrane family made the mistake of leaving Dib home alone. Grabbing his cane, which seemed to hardly provide any actual assistance on most days, Dib slid into his familiar trench coat and reached for his briefcase. He’d had to get new glasses, ones with dark lenses to hide the scars over his clouded eyes, but Gaz claimed they made him look “cool and mysterious” or whatever it was he wanted to be called. Her reassurance didn’t boost Dib’s confidence much, but it was better than nothing. He was outside now, listening to the methodical beeping of his paranormal activity scanner. He could use the little device to track any supernatural occurrences or forces in the area, which would also help Dib navigate through his next location. He planned to visit the woods outside of town, where he’d heard about various ghost sightings. The only issue was he’d struggle to get there, even with the verbal aid of his GPS. Dib had hardly gotten to leave the house since the initial incident- Even with the truce, he’d only spoken to Zim when the alien would try to spy on him from outside his bedroom window. Dib sighed, beginning his long trek down the sidewalk, occasionally using his cane to avoid any potholes or street lamps as the GPS verbally guided him where to go.

Zim had been still keeping an eye out for him. When he noticed the boy leave his home, he quirked a brow and got on his disguise to follow the boy. It was so strange to hear the TV downstairs say "police are still looking for an in-humanoid creature who murdered 3 men, presumed to be stealing from Membrane labs, Thursday night." almost every night. Zim knew they wouldn't find him though. There was no way.

"You gonna go look after Judice now?" Gir asked Zim as he made his way downstairs. "Yes, Gir. Last time the boy left without someone he got severely hurt. That could very much happen again knowing how prone the boy is to danger. So I'm going to watch him from afar. He will never know." Zim said. Gir clapped excitedly at his master's plan and wished him good luck before Zim left the base. He didn't trust Dib, as bad as that sounds. Not after last time. It's been two whole months, yet Dib's cries of agony still haunted him to this day.

____________________

Dib was currently following the guide of his GPS, stopping in front of the woods when it chimed to do so, informing Dib he’d arrived at his destination. He slid the now silent phone back into his pocket, rummaging around for his tracking device. It was a cold day, and Dib shuddered slightly when a gust of crisp air blew through the tall trees, creating an ominous humming sound of some kind. That definitely wasn’t normal. Adjusting his mint green hoodie, an alien themed one Zim gave him, he readied his gadgets. Dib then prepared to scan the area, listening closely to the gentle whirring sound of the metal box in his hands, yet jumped in surprise at how quickly the device replied. “Nearest anomaly is back approximately fifteen feet.” That was close. Dangerously close. Dib turned around with a soft squeak of fear, having not expected to run into the phantom so soon. However, when he registered the familiar metal clicking sound of a pak leg retracting, Dib’s fear was almost immediately replaced by irritation and confusion. “...Wait, Zim? What the hell are you doing here? Are- Are you following me?!” He scoffed in offense, “That’s so creepy, man.”

"It is not creepy, Dib-human. I feel and see it as essential. Last time I followed you, you were blind and hurt. And this seems much more dangerous! You are very prone to danger. So, I thought I'd accompany you just in case." He shoved his hands in his crimson hoodie’s pockets. Zim’s sweatshirt was sleeveless, more like a baggy and hooded tank top than anything. It’s pale red color matched well with the pale irken’s ruby-like eyes. Most irkens were normally bright and vibrant shades of teal, but Zim was a sickly grey and olive green color, dark bags under his piercing eyes as well. Along with his sleeveless hoodie, Zim also wore dark grey gloves, matching combat boots, and pale jeans with a grey hue over the usual navy color. Today, Dib was wearing his usual outfit as well, which Zim quietly observed on the blind boy. Dib was wearing the mint green sweatshirt Zim bought (and totally didn’t steal) for him, one with a simple alien head on the front of it. The irken soldier snickered at the plain symbol, shifting his gaze to observe Dib’s black and navy colored trench coat. He always wore that damn thing, no matter the heat. It sometimes made Zim doubt if Dib was really human at all, especially on the hotter days in summer. Dib was also wearing dark crimson tennis shoes, pale light navy jeans, and a pair of reflective sunglasses with a tint of red on their dark lenses. Zim snapped out of his spaced out state when Dib suddenly spoke to him, asking him a question the soldier didn’t recall. Zim was often too observant for his own good, so he quickly threw together a reply to continue the conversation rather than dwell on these visual details any longer.

"It’s alright, no need to thank me! I’m being nice." He smirked then internally gagged after saying that. "I figured if you were blind then it was best for me to accompany you anyways. Help you find this... thing. Let's be fair. You know you want my help. Thus, I'm here to give it." He couldn't just openly respond with ‘Hey, when I saw you hurt I went apeshit and killed those guys, and I don't want to see you hurt again because I kinda sort of care about you to an extent.’ Yeah, that's something Zim was unable to just say.

Dib scoffed and crossed his arms, “But I DON’T want your help, Zim. I’m doing completely fine on my own! Besides, shouldn’t the whole ‘truce’ thing mean you have to leave me alone? I don’t need someone mocking me for the next hour while I aimlessly wander around the woods.” Dib would really hate to admit it, but Zim did have a point. He couldn’t see a thing and his GPS wouldn’t help him until he was ready to head home. On one hand, it would be nice for someone with eyes to walk him through the trees and help photograph the phantom. On the other hand, it was Zim. And Zim was very bad at offering any actual help, at least from Dib’s experience with the egotistical alien. Super soldier or not, the irken could be kind of a nuisance. “So yeah... No, I think I’ll pass on that offer.” He frowned and turned away, fumbling with his paranormal activity tracker and hoping to scan areas past where Zim was standing.

Zim rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. You know you want the help. And going off the truce, I'll stay quiet the whole time unless absolutely necessary. I'll also help you with whatever. Seem fair?" He asked, grinning slightly. Ok, but was the alien actually capable of doing that? Who knows, but he seemed determined to stay by Dib's side. I guess it was worth a shot. "Even if you did deny my help, there is no real way for you to get rid of me. Why not just let me tag along? Where is the true harm in that?" He said, walking around the boy. Zim had a point there. He seemed so oddly persistent with this, too.

Dib shuddered as he listened to Zim’s voice edging closer, becoming tense as he felt the alien circling around him like some sort of shark teasing it’s prey. “Whatever- Fine! Okay? But the moment you start making fun of me, I’ll kick you.” That was actually a fairly legitimate threat, considering that Dib could pack a pretty hard hit for someone so scrawny. He had surprisingly strong legs, even if it did seem to be the only part of his body with any muscle. The blind teen muttered a few curses to himself as he pulled out another gadget, holding it out until Zim walked into his arm during one of his laps circling around Dib. “Here. You can use this to photograph the phantom when we find it. If you insist on tagging along, the least you can do is help with the investigation.” Dib paused for a moment before letting out a giddy chuckle, hardly able to hide his excitement at the idea. “It will be nice to finally get back to my studies. I can’t wait to get some more solid evidence!”

Zim held the camera carefully and double took at the giddy chuckle. He smiled just a little bit then grumbled. "Yeah yeah just don't get yourself hurt." He huffed. He reminded himself not to make fun of the boy. He didnt need to be kicked in the shins. That shit hurt. Every time he told Dib not to get hurt, it reminded him of 2 months ago. The incident. He shuddered. Zim didn't understand why it hurt so much to see Dib like that. He was a strong, merciless invader. That was shown through his little to no effort when killing the 3 men. But how was Dib's injury the cause of him snapping like that. Zim was silent as he thought about this while they walked. Almost alarmingly quiet. How was Dib, the boy he had hated for years, the cause of that outburst? The cause of that merciless killing? And why couldn't he tell Dib that it was him? That he was the one who killed the men. Why couldn't he admit that he was there before the incident? Was he afraid Dib would be afraid of him? Probably.

____________________

Dib began to explain the phantom they were searching for as they walked. Occasionally, the teen would walk into a few trees, and after the fifth incident he finally settled on wrapping an arm around Zim’s as he sighed in frustration. “Sorry, it’s hard to use my cane and the tracker at the same time. This is much easier.” He then continued to ramble about the various photos and rumors of the creature. “Some have said it has bright blue eyes, but other people are saying they keep seeing something with eyes that are more of a red and yellow color. We could have a shapeshifting phantom on our hands, or possibly two different entities all together! Either would be fascinating.” Dib paused when the tracker chimed with a notification, verbally informing Dib that they were about thirty feet away from a nearby anomaly. “So soon? That’s odd. It isn’t even that far into the woods...” Dib’s lips pursed into a line of concern, trying to quietly listen for anything out of the ordinary. “Zim? Do you see anything?”

Zim kept an eye out and took off his wig. His Antennas perked up and twitched around. "No, I can't see anything... But I can sense something." He mumbled quietly. Zim stepped forward a bit, his antennas continuing to twitch until they stopped. He grew very still. "Don’t make a sound or move." He told the boy silently. Whatever it was, it was growing closer. Zim wondered what it could be. A siren? A ghost? A shapeshifter? A common cryptid? Who knows. Zim was going to find out though. "Stay right here and don’t move." He said before letting go of the boy's arm. He got on his pak legs and began to silently dove forward, looking around and letting his Antennas do their job. He took out his contact lenses while he was at it. Anomaly to anomaly. Threat to threat. Zim made sure to also have the camera on him. He was doing this for Dib, remember?

Dib was a bit puzzled when Zim let go of his hand to rise up onto his pak legs, but he wasn’t exactly complaining. At least he knew they’d get some good photographs. He stayed quiet, listening around the area for any sign of danger. 

Unfortunately, the sensation of pain ripping through his back arrived before any sound could, tearing a frightened scream out of Dib’s throat. He quickly kicked back and rushed forward, slamming into one of Zim’s metal pak legs in the process. The beast that had dug its claws into Dib appeared to be a phantom like creature, an inhuman spirit with four arms and various eyes. It’s silvery body reflected hazy rays of sunlight cast down from above, like a pearlescent hologram of sorts. It was hard to tell where the translucent figure’s body ended and the natural air began, flickering in and out of view as it lurched forward towards the two boys. Dib fumbled with his tracking device when it began rapidly beeping, cursing in distress and quickly pulling out an irken blaster he’d “borrowed” from Zim once, attempting to shoot the mythical beast before it could get any closer. The blind teen’s hidden eyes widened with shock when he heard a wail of pain, the monster staggering back a few paces. “Holy shit! It’s really here!- Get a photo!-“ That shouldn’t be the boy’s biggest priority, considering the livid monster looked like it was prepared to tear Dib apart, but the boy was still determined to gather evidence.

Zim huffed until he realized the boy's injured state. Zim snapped a picture and grabbed Dib by the arm quickly. He needed to get him out of the beast’s sight. The soldier managed to pick the human boy up and put him onto his back, running farther into the forest. He set Dib down and observed the boy's back. "Holy shit, dude. That thing got you good. Here let me just-" He dispensed some bandages from his pak and went to go patch the boy up. "Don't worry about the photo, I got a few and we can review them later. You're hurt." He said, making sure the boy stayed in place. His antennas twitched to keep a look put for the phantom. Zim was fast, yet he didn’t know how fast the phantom was.

Dib had let out a strangled sound of surprise when Zim had suddenly swept him off the forest floor, hardly able to get a word in before being swiftly dragged across half of the woods. When finally set down, Dib initially pushed Zim away with a few dizzy curses of frustration. “Zim! You can’t just grab a blind guy like that! I had no idea what you were doing-!” Dib fell silent when Zim interrupted him anyhow, frowning as he listened to the irken scold him until the photograph was mentioned, causing the human to speak up in surprise. “We got a photo? That’s incredible!” Dib’s face lit up, the boy unable to hold back an excited laugh. “Normally I’m not tall enough to capture anything that isn’t blurry or obscured. Huh... I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but... Thanks, Zim.” Dib smiled after Zim wrapped a few bandages over the bloodied scratches along his back. The moment of peace didn’t last very long, though, as a large creature hissed and began to snake towards them through the trees above. Like a demented predator chasing its victims, the phantom suddenly pounced down and tackled Zim to the ground. Dib was knocked aside by the violent and sudden action, hitting the ground with a painful skid as the spirit began to curse at Zim in some garbled form of gibberish. 

Dib couldn’t understand a thing that was happening, but he quickly threw his heavy tracking console in the direction of the angry sounds- Blinking in surprise when the cursing was interrupted by a sudden yelp. “Oh woah... I actually hit it!” Realization then flooded Dib’s expression, filling his face with fright as the beast turned his way. “Oh god, I hit it-“ He scrambled to dodge a violent attack from the spirit, frantically running away from the enraged cryptid. “Zim!! Now would be a very good time to use those alien combat skills you like to brag about so much!-“ Dib eventually ran into a tree, having dropped his cane earlier when they were tackled. “Son of a- Oh.” Dib fell silent when a breath of hot air was pressed against his cheek, trembling in horror at the chilling sensation as he offered an anxious grin. “Uh... Zim?-“

Zim came rushing up with an enraged yell. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!" Zim yelled at the creature as he charged at it, hitting it with something to lure it away from Zim. His eyes seethed with hatred and he could feel himself growing more and more angry by the second. It wasn't long before Zim tackled the phantom and punctured it with one of the pak legs, dragging it away to the side. The poor spirit attempted to hit him, but it was rather easy for the irken to dodge. He ran farther back and continued to move out of the way of attacks. He continued to make small attacks on the creature, surprised he wasn't murdering it. If he could just understand what the stupid thing was saying. Zim hadn't grown tired but he was huffing.

As the irken soldier continued to fight, a sudden burst of light from above stopped the scene in its tracks. The phantom froze and raised its hideous head up towards the light, croaking in horror at the sight. A tall and dark figure was staring down at them, piercing eyes of yellow and red staring down at the trio fighting across the forest clearing. With a swift dash, the shadow had suddenly tackled the spirit to the ground- Skidding a good few yards away from Zim. The dark cryptid cast a glance back at the irken, who briefly mesmerized him with its bright scarlet eyes, before the shadow suddenly launched up into the sky with the phantom in its clutches. Zim had never seen such a creature on Earth before, and in all his years living here he’d never truly been afraid of anything living on the dull planet. But that thing? It was nightmarish. 

“Zim?!” The blind teenager’s frantic shout snapped Zim back from his train of thought, able to see Dib stumbling around the area- His arm stuck out awkwardly in a poor attempt to prevent himself from running into any other trees or stones. “What happened?! Where did that thing go? I heard a crash, and it felt like a gust of wind blew above too. Could the phantom fly?! I don’t remember hearing about that on any of the reports...” He worriedly trailed off, flustered as he eventually stopped walking and tried to listen for where his newfound friend had gone. Since when did he consider Zim a friend? Well, the alien may be a general nuisance, but lately he’s seemed to only have good intentions, often wanting to help Dib in his own twisted ways. Dib didn’t quite understand what Zim’s motive was just yet, it puzzled him to no end, but it was honestly a bit nice to have someone accompany him on one of his studies. All things considered, Dib really hoped Zim didn’t die from that sudden ambush.

Zim was still panting when he heard the boy yell out to him. "Dib!" He ran over and continued to check up on the human investigator. He held his hand immediately to let Dib know it was him. "No, no, the phantom couldn't fly. This thing with scarlet eyes that looked all shadowy came down and swept the damn thing right up off its feet and dragged it away. I wasn't able to get a picture of it, but I did get a picture of the phantom for you." He smiled a little. "How's your back? We should head back and render these photos so you can rest. I can't imagine that wasn't painful for you-" Was Zims showing concern for Dib? Yeah, that's new. 

"We need to get back." He fixed his posture, putting on his wig and contacts. "Lets just go." The irken huffed. 'Im not weak. I'm not showing weakness' he thought. Zim got the boy onto his back. "This is easiest to save you from running into stuff and getting hurt so stay quiet." He sneered and began their way out of the forest. Zim got to the house and checked to see if anyone was home.

Dib furrowed his brow, “Scarlet eyes?... Huh, I guess the different sightings were separate creatures. I’m not sure how I should feel about that, though.” He continued to listen to Zim with a hesitant frown, pausing in surprise when the Irken was the one to grab his arm this time. Normally he’d slap it away, but Dib did need the guidance to get out of here anyway, so he was okay with it for now. “My back? It’s still pretty sore, but nothing that can’t be fixed with some rest, I guess. Seems like that’s all I’ve been doing lately. Ugh, I wish Dad would just let me go on these paranormal missions whenever I wanted! But the guy’s super possessive now- Like- Sure, he’s absent for most of my life, and now that he’s finally back in it he’s suffocating me!! Still won’t believe I’m not crazy, though...” Dib followed Zim out of the woods, grumbling bitterly as he kept the rest of his equipment in the book bag he’d brought. However, when Zim shifted Dib up onto his shoulders, the teen couldn’t help but choke and flush in shock. “Zim! What are you doing?! You can’t just-!” When told to be quiet, Dib merely huffed in complaint and begrudgingly fell silent. 

____________________

Nobody was home at the Membrane household when they returned, thank Irk, so they were free to enter undisturbed. Dib laid out all of their notes and evidence onto his desk, using his tablet to play some of the notes aloud as he asked Zim how the picture looked. If this is what it was like to go in missions with the human boy, Zim realized it wasn’t too bad. Sure, it was life threatening at some points, but that was probably the most excitement and action he’d gotten since coming to Earth. A well appreciated change in his tiresome routine, and maybe after a little persuasion with Dib’s father, it could become the new normal as well.


End file.
